Spock: Reflections, Issue 3
| miniseries =Spock: Reflections| minino =3 | writer =Scott & David Tipton | artist =David Messina| finishes =Federica Manfredi| inker =Federica Manfredi & Arianna Florean| colorist =Ilaria Traversi; color assist by Chiara Cinabro of 2B Studio| letterer =Robbie Robbins| editor =Scott Dunbier| omnibus =''Spock: Reflections | published =September 2009 | pages =32 | story =22 | publisher =IDW Publishing | covers =2 | altcover = | caption = | date = | stardate = | }} Publisher's description ;From solicitations :Ambassador Spock's mysterious journey continues! As Spock makes his way toward Earth, he thinks back on another previously untold tale from his past, this time featuring James T. Kirk, Leonard McCoy and the crew of the original U.S.S. Enterprise! Summary 2372 The Orion ship arrives at Deep Space Station E-5, located halfway between Earth and the Romulan Neutral Zone. Spock and the Saurian trader debark; the Saurian is very glad no longer to be confined to the ship. He bids Spock a friendly farewell. As he walks away, Spock hears him musing that he will be glad to return home. 2271 Spock has returned to Vulcan, where he encounters T'Pring. She tells him news of his return is already widespread, but that most Vulcans find his decision unexpected. He acknowledges that he has resigned from Starfleet and will be seeking to achieve Kolinahr, which T'Pring regards as an admirable aim. Spock asks after Stonn, and T'Pring says her husband is precisely what she had anticipated he would be. She asks why Spock has returned, and he repeats that he came back for the Kolinahr ritual. T'Pring tells him he will not find peace on Vulcan, and that he would never have left if the planet had meant anything to him. Spock comments dryly that T'Pring has shown remarkable insight given how poorly she knows him, but T'Pring says she does know him and always has. She predicts that he will leave Vulcan again. As she walks away she urges Spock to make his peace with whatever has driven him back home, since he belongs in space, not on Vulcan. 2372 Spock has chartered another ship from a Bolian named Moxx. The things Spock asked for are already aboard the ship, but Moxx does not know their destination. He does not generally accept charters unless he knows where they are going, but Spock had good references. Spock tells him their destination: Veridian III. Moxx agrees to this, since there are no hazards in that direction. On the bridge of Moxx's ship, the captain suggests to Spock that the most comfortable seat is that at the auxiliary science station. 2265 During the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|''Enterprise]]'s first five-year mission under Captain James T. Kirk, the ship approaches the [[USS Collins|USS Collins]], which is about to suffer a warp core breach and is launching its escape pods. Dr. McCoy has medical teams in readiness. Kirk orders Bailey and Sulu to use the tractor beam and transporters to rescue the evacuees. The Collins' antimatter containment is about to fail. Sensors detect only one lifesign left on the ship: Admiral Patricia Carlson, who is still on the bridge and refusing all of Uhura's attempts at communication. Scotty reports that Carlson is keeping shields up around the bridge, blocking transporters. Spock fails to comprehend Carlson's seemingly suicidal behavior. Kirk and McCoy decide to beam over, and Kirk asks Scotty to beam them to a point just outside the bridge. As Kirk and McCoy enter the turbolift, Spock points out that it is against regulations for them to leave the ship together in this situation. Kirk replies that he knows the regulation but that they are going anyway. Spock asks Uhura to force the bridge viewscreen on the Collins to activate. When Carlson sees that the screen has activated, she barks at the Enterprise crew not to send a rescue team over, but Kirk and McCoy are already entering her bridge. She starts to order them to leave, but recognizes Kirk and asks what he is doing there. Kirk asks Carlson to leave, but she refuses; she is consumed with guilt about sending two engineering teams to their deaths after a series of explosions began. Kirk tells her that sacrificing herself is useless, and on the viewscreen Spock also says it is time to leave. Carlson agrees to go so that Kirk and Spock can get both crews to safety. Kirk thanks her as she lowers the shields. Spock orders Scotty to energize, then tells Sulu to get the Enterprise away from the Collins at maximum speed. As Janice Rand gently escorts Carlson out of the transporter room, Spock comments that Kirk risked a great deal to save the admiral. Kirk, amused, asks if Spock was worried about them, causing Spock to raise a quizzical eyebrow. McCoy comments that one cannot have a heart attack without a heart. 2372 Moxx's ship arrives in orbit of Veridian III. Spock beams down and walks toward a structure of scaffolding in the distance. Picard's message had said the captain of the ''Enterprise'' felt obligated to tell Spock of the final heroism of his friend. Kirk did not die on the ''Enterprise''-B, but was sucked into a dimensional Nexus where the heart's desires came true. An insane scientist had been willing to kill 200 million people in order to re-enter the Nexus, and Kirk left the other dimension to help Picard defeat him. In the process Kirk was killed while saving Picard and millions of others. Spock looks down at the broken walkway. Since Kirk was already thought dead, and since it would have been difficult to explain the nature of the Nexus to Starfleet, Picard buried Kirk on Veridian III. Nonetheless, Picard felt Spock should know of Kirk's fate. Spock continues gazing out across the landscape. TO BE CONTINUED. References Characters :David Bailey • Patricia Carlson • James T. Kirk • Leonard McCoy • Moxx • Jean-Luc Picard • Janice Rand • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • T'Pring • Nyota Uhura • unknown Andorian • unknown Saurian • unknown Starfleet officer • unknown Vulcan • unknown Vulcan Tolian Soran • Stonn Starships and vehicles :unknown Bolian transport • unknown Saurian transport • [[USS Collins|USS Collins]] • [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)]] [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-B)|USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-B)]] Locations :Deep Space Station E-5 • Veridian III • Vulcan Romulan Neutral Zone • Romulus • Sector 001 • Starbase 45 Races and cultures :human • Bolian • Saurian • Vulcan States and organizations :Starfleet Other :bridge • viewscreen antimatter • escape pod • Kolinahr • Nexus • regulations • sensors • shields • suicide • tractor beam • transporter • warp core Appendices *This issue was available in two covers: the primary cover by David Messina, colored by Ilaria Traversi, and a retail incentive by David A. Williams, colored by Moose Baumann. *The fact that Stonn is still living when Spock returns to Vulcan for the Kolinahr ritual supports the placement of Diane Duane's novels after , rather than during a second five-year mission prior to The Motion Picture. Related stories *''Star Trek Generations'' - Picard's message to Spock tells of the events regarding Kirk. *''The Ashes of Eden'' -- Presents an alternate account of Spock's visit to Kirk's grave on Veridian III. Timeline The framing story takes place in 2372. In the first flashback, Spock's return to Vulcan to seek Kolinahr most likely takes place in 2271 (the year after the end of the five-year mission). David Bailey's presence on the Enterprise dates the second flashback to 2265 or 2266. | before=Spock: Reflections, Issue 2| after=Spock: Reflections, Issue 4|}} Images file:USS Collins.jpg | The External link Category:TOS comics